Introduction

The UN estimates that the February earthquakes generated ten times more rubble than the previous major earthquake to strike the region over 20 years ago, generating a waste crisis within the broader humanitarian crisis. Haphazard and ad hoc approaches to clear and sort rubble were well documented in Turkey, where estimates suggest a rise in respiratory diseases, asthma, and other related illnesses in the coming years as a result of the toxins released by the earthquake’s rubble. In Syria, a lack of international rescue teams, heavy machinery, and coordinated support in the immediate emergency response further encouraged ad hoc responses and rubble clearance methods which could present risks to public health in the years to come.

Rubble removal remains a priority in the most recent phase of the humanitarian-coordinated earthquake response. However long-term waste storage plans, prospects for reuse and recycling of earthquake waste, and private processes undertaken by residents to deal with rubble in northwest Syria are not well documented. This opacity makes it difficult to assess the full range of risks rubble could present to local communities in the years to come across a variety of sectors, from environmental pollution impacting food security to exploitative waste management industries undermining livelihoods.

In this fifth report in the Northwest Syria Series from Crisis Analysis – Syria (CA–SYR, previously HAT) we aim to assess approaches for rubble removal, transfer, and storage in recent months, and the industries which have emerged around the process. The research is informed by insights from technical experts, traders, local authorities, and residents whose homes were damaged in the earthquake. While not exhaustive, it aims to identify the impacts of earthquake rubble on local communities more broadly in the months and years to come.

Key findings

• Long wait times and limited capacity within the coordinated response by local actors to remove rubble fueled the expansion of the private scrap industry. This industry centered around reusable materials present in earthquake rubble including iron, aluminum, and copper.

• The presence of permanent holding facilities for rubble are not heavily evidenced in northwest Syria, prompting questions regarding long-term storage of waste which could pose environmental and public health risks in the future if not adequately dealt with.

• A significant number of partially damaged homes are still in need of rehabilitation and may require demolition if not rehabilitated soon, adding further to the waste created by the February earthquakes.